Adjustable golf club head



Oct 1954 P, H. CALLAGHAN, SR

ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB HEAD Filed April 15, 1950 4 a I a I 9 2 IN VEN TOR.

Flzrick /1/. [a BY 7 Patented Oct. 12, 1954 UNITED oF-FlicE;

4' Claims. 1

This invention relates to golfdubs; and more particularly to agolf club havinga head; the striking angle of which is adjustable from thegrip end of the handle.

Golfclubs are generally provided in sets; the metal blades'of individualclubs varying in angle,

so:.that by selection of one oranother'club of 'the" set. varying driving" effects upon the ballimay' be had.

The object of this inventionisv to provide'a:

single' club having a blade adjustablewith'refe erence to the-axis ofethehandle'so that the blade".- can be set at any: angle withintherangeofangles generally suppliedbysa' set. of. clubs, thus -rendering it unnecessary to employasetof clubs, each' havingablade permanently set at a different angle from-the others.

.Another object of the inventionis to provide the hollow handleof the club witha-stemaxially movable therewithin by a manual adjustmentat the grip end of the handle and'adapted to. be-

held at any set position.

of the club to turn therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide agearingbetween the head. endof: the-stem and: the arbor-afiixed to the blade; to-rotateand-; hnld the blade in any angular "position to which' it" may "be set by axial movement of'the stem.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a rugged construction providing for the afore-' said adjustment, capable of withstanding the" stresses incident togolf clubs;

Th'ese'and other objects of the invention will be'illustrated in the 'drawings,1deseribedf in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1' is an elevation of the g'olf'club and'the .45

bladeviewed from'the front, the gripf endor top part "of the handle being shownin. section and the shaft part of the handle being broken away- 2- wise movement of the stem. Ihe secti'on istaken onthe-line 3w; 3310f Fig. 8:

Fig; 4isan enlarged vertical section-' through' thegearing and parts associatedtherewith' the section being-taken on the line-4:c, 450 of- Fig. 3.

Fig: 5 is an enlarged cross section on theline 5-a:-;'-5:t of Fig. 1 showing part of the -mechanism"- fur -adjusting the stem endwisein -the' handle:

Fig-.1 6is a section-on the line 62c,-6:rof Fig. 5, showing the cap' -and stem, the split sleeve' andthe grip endof the handle, thewasher inter' posed between the end of theh'andletand the cap: and the padding surrounding the handleandforming the g'ripa 15 Fig. 7 is an enlargedside elevation of thesleevei Fig. 2 is an elevation-of the head-or lower end of-the-handle and the stem and blade,;the parts being viewed from the-back;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower part of.- Fig. 1, the lower end of the-handle and the boss and the 1 blade being shownin section;

showingthe gearing by which theangular position of. the bladeris adjustedzby 'the :axia'hor' endshown insection near the" top" of Fig: 1 which sleeve iscontained"inside of the gripend of the, h'andle and surrounds-the stem.

Fig; 8" is an' end elevation of the blade'andi the" lower-part -of=the handle and stem as viewed from the left at the bottom of Fig. 1.

In the drawings; like reference numerals indi cate like parts.-

In the"- drawings, reference numeral I indicatesthe tubular "shaft .portion of the handle 'ofra golf cluband'l indicates a-stem that is'madeup of two' parts, which stem is enclosed -inthe handle and; moves endwise therein and is held againstrotatione therein as will presently be explained.

Enclosed'in theigrip end-of the tubular handle is a split sleeve 3 shown in Figs. 1 and 7,-whichsleeve is heldwagainst rotation in. the handle" I bys-twofipins4 and-5 which pins are-inserted in the 'tubularhandle I and engage; in holes in the sleeve' 3. Th'eserpins do not go-through thestem 22" Attheupper endythestem 2 isiprovided with a male'thread. On' the upper end of the-stem 2-" isrpl'aeed a cap 6; which is threaded witha'femalethread that engages withathe male threadpnthe upper end of thestem; Thiscap turnsfor the purpose of. moving" the": stem *endwise in a manner that will presently bedescribed.

The split sleeve-3has-amutilatedfiange at the topethereof. The-sleeve is split so that theupper ends of it can be sprung, together. The flange at. the --top is mutilated or I cut away to-form the small flanges 1 and 8'-as-shown= in Figs; 1, 5,- 6 and' 'i. The= capwis formed: with'an annulargroovet-9--with which the small flanges 1 and 8"- can engage'when the upper end of the split sleeve is: released" and the ends *are' allowed tospring. apart, 'it' being understood? that the upper ends of the split sleeve are 1 pressedtogether so that the mutilatedfianses can pass; through the narrow 3 opening below the annular groove 9 until they are in line with the groove itself and are then allowed to spring apart. This permits the cap to rotate freely on the flanges.

When the stem 2 is inserted in the split sleeve 3 the mutilated flanges l and 8 are held in spread relation and securely held in the annular groove 9 of the cap 6. On the lower end of the stem 2 is the enlarged cylindrical stem end member M. The end member M is provided with a socket into which the lower end of the stem 2 fits and the two parts are pinned by the pin Ma.

The split sleeve and the cap are first assembled in this manner and the upper end of the stem 2 is inserted into the opening of the bottom of the split sleeve 3, and makes threaded engagement with the cap 6. The stem and its assembly are held against rotation in a manner that will presently be described and the stem and the assembly are moved endwise by turning th cap 6.

On the lower end of the shaft portion of the handle I of the golf club is provided a casting i8, which has a bore therein aligned with the handle axis to receive the enlarged cylindrical end member 14 of the stem 2. The casting also has a horizontal bore therein to receive the arbor H3. The upper end of this casting is recessed to form a shoulder 20 on which the lower end of the handle shaft portion l rests. The parts are held together by a tight drive fit. They can be pinned together if needed. The casting comprises intersecting integral sleeves whose bore axes are askew to one another.

On the enlarged end member i4 is formed the teeth of the rack H. The enlarged end member is cylindrical and the crest of the teeth formed therein are therefore rounded. The arbor I9 is formed with gear teeth milled into it which when the arbor is inserted into place engage with the teeth of the rack as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The right hand end of the arbor is formed with a head 21. This arbor is inserted in the horizontal bore so that the rack and the gear teeth mesh with each other. On the left hand end of the arbor is placed the blade 22, which blade has a boss 24 on the back of it, which is recessed with a hole to receive the left hand end of the arbor 19, it being understood that the arbor and the blade are pinned together as indicated by the pin 23. The back of the blade is also reinforced by the ribs 25, 25.

The stem with the assembly at the upper end thereof, as above described, with the enlarged end member Id at the lower end is inserted in the grip end of the handle with a washer il interposed between the lower end of the cap 6 and the top of the handle shaft portion I, it being understood that the arbor I9 is first inserted in the horizontal hole in the casting I8. This brings the rack and gear shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in engagement with each other.

The teeth on the rack mesh with the teeth on the arbor and keep the stem 2 from rotating and limit it to an up and down movement.

The blade 22 is then placed on the arbor and is fastened to it by the pin 23.

Before the blade is placed on the arbor, the stem 2 and the rack I! should be brought to the lower end of its movement against the set screw 26, which set screw is shown at the bottom of Fig. 4. This is done by turning thecap 6. In this position the flat side 22a of the blade 22 is set at its maximum angle to the handle which is preferably about (15 degrees) 15 below the horizontal which horizontal is determined by a line 4 perpendicular to the handle. This position is indicated by the dotted line shown in Fig. 8. The blade is then placed on the arbor at this angle and is pinned to the arbor. Thereafter the cap is turned in the reverse direction to draw the stem 2 up until the fiat side of the blade 22 stands parallel to the handle. The further upward movement of the stem is then limited by inserting a set screw 21 in the cap 6. In this way the endwise movement of the stem is limited by the set screw 21 at the top and the set screw 26 at the bottom. By the rotation of the cap 6 the blade can be turned through an angle of about (75 degrees) 75 and left at any angle in between these limits and is held securely in such position.

In this way, the endwise movement of the stem is limited to about or of an inch.

By this adjustment of the blade, on club can be made to serve the same purpose as a number of clubs.

The upper end of the tubular handle shaft portion I is surrounded by a sleeve or a wrapping 30 for the purpose of forming a grip.

I claim:

1. A golf club comprising the combination of a tubular handle, a stem extending lengthwise therethrough, a split sleeve for said stem fixedly positioned in the upper end of said handle, said split sleeve having parallel arms outwardly flanged at their ends and held in spaced relation by said stem, a handle cap screw threaded on the end of said stem and having an internal annular thrust groove for receiving the flanged ends of said sleeve when held in spaced relation by said stem, said handle having at its lower end an integral member having a guideway bore for the lower end of said stem, and a transverse bore intersecting in offset relation with said guideway bore, a head member having a shank journaled in said transvers bore, said shank and stem having meshing gear and rack teeth, respectively, whereby said head member may be angularly set by lengthwise movement of said stem imposed by rotation of said handle cap, said integral member being effective to rigidly hold the teeth of said rack and gear in correct meshing relation, and form a housing for said stem and shank.

2. A golf club comprising a tubular handle, a

.stem extending lengthwise through said handle,

manual means for moving said stem with respect to said tubular handle from one set position to another set position, and means for preventing lengthwise movement of said stem in the handle when in a set position, said tubular handle terminating at its lower end in a sleeve having a guideway bore for constrained sliding movement of said stem therein, a transverse sleeve having a bore in the lower end of said handle, intersecting said guideway bore and offset therefrom, said transverse sleeve being integral with said firstnamed sleeve, a head member having a shank journaled in said offset bore, said shank and stem having meshing gear and stem teeth, respectively, the integral sleeve at the lower end of said handle forming a rigid housing for said stem and shank, and maintaining the gear and stem teeth in positive engaging relationship.

3. A golf club comprising the combination of an elongated handle having a grip at one end, a stem therein, means for positively and gradually moving the stem lengthwise in the handle in either direction, said means including thrust means coaoting between said moving means and said handle to prevent lengthwise movement of said moving means, a rack on the lower end of the stem having teeth thereon, an arbor mounted to rotate in the lower end of the handle and extending transversely therefrom, a blade mounted on said arbor and turning therewith, teeth formed in said arbor engaging the teeth of said rack and turned thereby on the lengthwise movement of the stem, the teeth on the arbor engaging with the teeth on the rack and being adapted to hold the stem against turning, the lower end of said handle being integral and having askew intersecting bores providing guideways for said rack and arbor, respectively.

4. A golf club comprising the combination of an elongated hollow handle having a hollow shaft portion and a casting on the bottom end thereof, said casting having a cylindrical opening therein axially aligned with the hollow shaft portion, one end of which opening is enlarged in diameter to form a shoulder and receive the lower end of the shaft portion, and on which shoulder the end of the shaft portion rests, said casting being held against rotation in the shaft portion, a stem extending through the handle and having an enlarged cylindrical end on the lower end thereof, slidable axially in the opening of said casting, teeth on the enlarged cylindrical end forming a rack thereon, a boss extending laterally on said casting having a cylindrical opening therein intersecting but ofifset from said first-named opening, an arbor mounted to turn in said boss and casting, teeth formed on said arbor in engagement with the teeth on the rack at the intersection of said openings, and a blade fastened on the end of said arbor, said casting forming an integral housing including a snug guideway for said toothed stem, and a journal for said arbor and arbor teeth, whereby to hold said toothed stem and arbor teeth rigidly in proper meshing relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 850,024 Lewis Apr. 9, 1907 1,107,523 Jackson Aug. 18, 1914 1,879,117 Davidson Sept. 27, 1932 2,026,749 Pester Jan. 7, 1936 2,297,137 Fennema Sept. 29, 1942 2,338,271 Ulanet Jan. 4, 1944 2,381,636 Bancroft Aug. 7, 1945 2,543,100 Engh Feb. 27, 1951 

